How to Put Something on Pinterest

Putting something on Pinterest is the first step to unlocking a powerful stream of traffic, discovering new audiences, and growing your brand on one of the internet's biggest visual search engines. Whether you’re sharing blog posts, products, or creative ideas, this guide will walk you through exactly how to add your content to Pinterest and optimize it for success from the start.

First, A Quick Guide to Pinterest Lingo

Before we get into the step-by-step, let's quickly cover the three main terms you'll see. Understanding these will make the entire process much smoother.

• Pin: A Pin is any piece of content you add to Pinterest. It can be an image, a video, a product graphic, or an infographic - essentially, it's the visual bookmark.
• Board: A Board is a collection of Pins, usually organized by a specific theme or topic. Think of it as a folder where you save related ideas, like "Living Room Decor Ideas" or "Healthy Weeknight Recipes."
• Repin (or Save): When you see someone else's Pin and save it to one of your own boards, that's a Repin. It’s how ideas spread across the platform.

Method 1: Create a Pin from Scratch

Creating a "fresh" Pin is how you upload your own original content directly to the platform. This is the best method for sharing your own blog post graphics, product photos, short-form videos, and infographics. Pinterest’s algorithm loves new content, so get comfortable with this process!

On a Desktop Computer:

1. Log into your Pinterest account.
2. In the top-left corner of the screen, click the Create dropdown menu and select Create Pin.
3. You’ll be taken to the Pin builder. Here, you can drag and drop your image or video file directly onto the upload area, or click the up-arrow icon to browse your computer for a file.
4. Once your visual is uploaded, it’s time to fill out the details:
   • Choose a board: In the top-right corner, select the most relevant board from the dropdown menu to save your Pin to. This helps Pinterest understand what your content is about.
   • Write a title: This is a bold headline for your Pin. Make it catchy and include your primary keyword. Something like "10 Easy 30-Minute Vegan Dinners" is clear and searchable.
   • Write a description: Use this space to tell people what your Pin is about. Be descriptive and naturally include a few more keywords. You have up to 500 characters, but the first 50-60 appear in feeds, so put the most important info first.
   • Add a destination link: This is one of the most important steps. This is the URL where you want to send people when they click your Pin - your blog post, product page, or landing page. Double-check to make sure it's correct!
   • Tag related topics (optional): You can select up to 10 topic tags to give Pinterest more context.
5. When everything looks good, click the red Publish button in the top-right. You’re live!

On the Pinterest Mobile App (iOS or Android):

1. Open the Pinterest app on your phone.
2. Tap the plus sign (+) at the bottom center of your screen.
3. Select Pin from the menu that appears.
4. Select a photo or video from your phone's camera roll. You can select multiple images to create a carousel-style Idea Pin.
5. Tap Next. Now you’ll fill in the details, just like on desktop:
   • Add your Title.
   • Add your Description.
   • Add your Link (known as the Web address or Website link on mobile).
6. Tap Next again to choose which board you want to save the Pin to.
7. After selecting a board, your Pin will be published automatically.

Method 2: Pin Content from a Website

Have you ever noticed the little red "Pin It" or "Save" button on images within blog posts or on product pages? This feature is a powerful way to add content from a website (yours or someone else's) to one of your boards. For creators, having this button on your site encourages visitors to share your content for you.

The easiest way to do this from any website is with the official Pinterest browser extension.

Using the Pinterest Browser Button:

1. First, install the extension for your browser (Chrome, Firefox, or Edge). You can find it by searching "Pinterest browser button."
2. Once installed, navigate to the web page you want to Pin from - a blog post, a recipe, a product listing, etc.
3. Click the red Pinterest button icon in your browser's toolbar.
4. An overlay will appear showing all the pinnable images from that page. Hover over the image you want to Pin and click the red Save button that appears on it.
5. A new window will open. In the top-right, choose the board you want to save it to.
6. The title and description are usually pulled from the website automatically, but you should take a moment to customize them. Add strong keywords and a clear call to action to improve how well the Pin performs.
7. Click Save. Your Pin is now on your chosen board, pointing traffic back to the original webpage.

Method 3: Repin Someone Else’s Content

Repinning (or Saving) is the social part of Pinterest. It’s how you curate content from others onto your boards, build community, and engage with ideas you love. While great for curating, remember that for growing your own brand, posting original content via the methods above is always a better strategy.

To repin, the process is simple:

1. When you’re browsing your home feed and see a Pin you want to save, hover over it (on desktop) or tap on it (on mobile).
2. Click the dropdown menu next to the "Save" button to select which board you want to add it to.
3. That’s it! The Pin is now saved on your board.

Best Practices: How to Create Pins That People Actually Click

Just putting something on Pinterest isn't enough, you want it to perform well. Following a few best practices will dramatically increase your chances of getting impressions, saves, and clicks.

Use High-Quality, Vertical Visuals

Pinterest is a vertical platform. To stand out, create visuals that take up as much screen space as possible. The ideal aspect ratio is 2:3 (for example, 1000 x 1500 pixels). This looks better on mobile feeds and gets more attention than a horizontal or square image.

• Use clear, well-lit photos and graphics. A dark, blurry photo won't get any traction.
• Add text overlay. Create simple graphics with a bold, easy-to-read headline directly on the image. Your Pin about "Paleo Brownie Recipe" should say "Paleo Brownie Recipe" right on top of the delicious-looking picture of the brownies.
• Keep branding subtle. Add your website URL or a small logo at the bottom of the Pin so people know where the great idea came from.

Pinterest Is a Search Engine - Use Keywords

People don't go to Pinterest to see what their friends are up to, they go there to find ideas, plan purchases, and solve problems. Think like they do.

Before you create a Pin, use the Pinterest search bar to see what people are looking for. Type in a general topic like "kitchen organization" and watch the autocomplete suggestions. Those suggestions ("kitchen organization ideas," "kitchen organization for small spaces," "kitchen organization on a budget") are what real users are searching for. Sprinkle these keywords into:

• Your Pin Titles
• Your Pin Descriptions
• Your Board Titles and Descriptions

Consistently Post Fresh Pins

As mentioned, Pinterest loves new, original content. The platform calls these "Fresh Pins" - it refers to a new image/video combination that hasn't been seen on Pinterest before, even if it links to an old blog post. Creating a few different Pin designs that all point to the same URL is a perfect way to keep your content fresh.

Repinning is fine, but focus the bulk of your effort on adding your own high-value, original visuals to the platform. Posting consistently - whether that's one new Pin per day or three - signals to the algorithm that you’re an active and valuable creator, which helps your content get shown more often.

Final Thoughts

Getting your content on Pinterest is a straightforward process, whether you're uploading an original graphic, saving an article from your blog, or curating brilliant ideas you find online. Success comes from combining these methods with a smart strategy built around high-quality vertical visuals and keyword-rich descriptions.

The biggest challenge for most creators is staying consistent. That’s why we built Postbase in the first place. After spending years managing social media for brands, we got tired of scheduling headaches and tools built for a different era. Our platform lets you plan, schedule, and publish your content across all your platforms - including Pinterest - from a single visual calendar. It saves a ton of time and helps you post consistently without feeling overwhelmed.

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